The internal wrangling within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has put a knife in the National Working Committee (NWC), whose members clashed over the root of the turmoil.
 
A heated exchange between Ikenga Ugochinyere, a vocal party figure, and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, exposed deeper divisions within the party.
 
However, the replacement of the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has transcended the realm of hearsay, going by recent developments, and Iyorchia Ayu’s constituency may be the beneficiary.
 
While Abdullahi attributed the party’s woes to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Ugochinyere fingered Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Damagum as the instigators of instability in the party.
  
The party chieftains spoke at different forums yesterday in Abuja. Asserting that the party’s umbrella was no longer “wide enough” to accommodate its members, Ugochinyere lamented that PDP members, including lawmakers and stakeholders, were abandoning the party.
 
He accused Wike of betraying the PDP by working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and arguing that Damagum’s leadership as acting chairman only deepened the party’s troubles.
  
“Wike has taken a job to run errands for the APC, and Damagum’s presence as acting chairman is causing serious problems for the party,” Ugochinyere asserted.
 
He emphasised that the PDP was failing in its role as an opposition party, noting that while opposition parties in other West African nations such as Senegal and Ghana maintained strength, the PDP lost its political influence.
 
But Abdullahi blamed Atiku for the party’s problems, accusing him of allowing five governors to defect from the party in 2023, just as it happened in 2014.
 
According to him, Atiku’s failure to manage internal conflicts weakened the party’s chances in the presidential election.
  
“The problem this present NWC is contending with is a problem we inherited,” Abdullahi said. “Atiku foisted a worse government on the nation in the person of Buhari, and we all rallied behind him in 2023. Yet, he allowed five governors to walk out of the party on the eve of the election, just as he did in 2014.”

The battle to reclaim the national chairmanship position by the North Central caucus of PDP has taken another dimension, as preparations are being perfected to enthrone a dark horse from the senatorial district of Ayu.
 
Just last month, the North Central caucus of the party disclosed that it would soon come up with an official position regarding its preferred candidate for the job.
 
The Guardian learned that the decision to narrow Damagum’s replacement to the former nation chairman’s senatorial district was taken to reduce rancour associated with having multiple candidates from all the six states of the North Central.  
 
Yesterday, Conrad Utaan, who is also from the same senatorial district as Ayu, informed journalists in Abuja that he was in touch with relevant stakeholders to emerge as the next chairman to serve out the tenure of the zone.
 
Since Ayu was sacked by the court as PDP National Chairman, Damagum occupied the position for more than a year. Section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution states, “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.”
 
Briefing journalists while opposing the continued stay of Damagum as the Acting Chairman, Utaan expressed concern that Damagum was becoming more like the substantive National Chairman against the party’s constitution. 
 
He warned of the implication of denying North Central its rightful position, adding, “The APC, as much as we hate to take it, may just stroll into another term, if the PDP continues this way. That is why we are in this and, by the way, this term ends in November 2025. I am not running to be chairman for four years, to complete the term of the North Central, the term of Benue, the term of Benue North-West Central district. Even if it is for two days, it belongs to the North Central and Benue.” 
 
Utaan disclosed his preparedness to occupy the position, stressing, “I am ready to engage anybody, who wants to replace Iyorchia Ayu in an open debate. Trust me, I will floor them.
 
“I have met with the leaders of this party across all strata. I met with my party at the local level and state level last week. I addressed the North Central Executive Committee of the party and my message resonated with them.”